Certified Investor Agent Specialist™

What You’ll Be Able to Do (and Sell) Immediately

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Investor clients don’t want “maybe.” They want numbers, strategy, and a confident agent who can explain a deal clearly. CIAS gives you the framework, training, and tools to speak the investor language, evaluate opportunities fast, and build a business that attracts repeat investors, not random leads.

Confidently Analyze Deals and Answer Questions

Know exactly how to break down ROI, cap rate, average returns, and cash flow. Explain financing options, 1031 exchanges, and self-directed IRA basics without hesitation.

Build a Steady Investor Pipeline (Not Feast-or-Famine Business)

Walk away with investor-focused marketing + lead gen strategies and a clear approach to building a profitable investor database you can grow month after month.

Become the Go-To "Investor Agent" in Your Area

Earn the CIAS designation and learn how to position yourself with credibility backed by negotiation strategies, investor resources/tools, and a process to become an extension of your clients’ investment goals.

Meet Your Instructor: Branden Lowder

Branden Lowder is a licensed real estate professional (since 1993) and a longtime agent coach who’s helped thousands of agents sharpen their skills and grow real businesses—not just collect more information. He’s the co-founder of a top-producing team in the Los Angeles market, has been involved in 3,000+ transactions, and teaches investors-focused strategy, negotiation, and deal analysis with a “real-world, use-it-tomorrow” approach.

Proven production + investor experience: Over 3,900 transactions closed with deep focus in investment and distressed properties.
Award-winning instructor: Top Rated Instructor (multiple years) plus Keller Williams performance/leadership awards.
Trained at scale: Taught 6,000+ real estate professionals and served as a national instructor (including CIAS) through major training organizations.
Built to solve the exact gap agents feel: Branden helped relaunch and lead CIAS so agents can confidently speak “investor”—numbers, strategy, and next steps—without sounding unsure.

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Top Producer

Consistent performance built on repeatable systems you can copy.

3,900+ Transactions

Proven deal experience across buyers, sellers, and investors.

33+ Years

33+ Years of Unmatched Experience and Results in Commercial Real Estate

6,000+ Students

Clear training that turns complex investing into simple actions.

What's Included

12 Hours of Hands-On Video Training

Learn the exact investor frameworks (deal analysis, strategy, objections) so you can speak confidently—and get taken seriously.

Real estate school student portal displaying our residential agent training course.

Page titled 'Section 2: Quantifying the Real Estate Investment Market' showing two graphs: the first depicts seasonal residential real estate trends from 2005-2024 with a line graph of potential investor activity peaking around November; the second graph combines bars for agent traditional sales and a line for potential investor sales with a median line, illustrating seasonal stability and activity trends. Both graphs emphasize investor activity variations over the real estate cycle from July to June.

400+ Page Student Manual

A step-by-step reference you can keep open while you work deals, so you never “blank” on the numbers or process.

100+ Investor Resources

Plug-and-play templates, checklists, scripts, and tools that help you move faster and look more professional to investors.

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Real estate school training program displayed on a computer.

CIAS Calculation Cheat Sheet explaining Gross Operating Income (GOI) and Net Operating Income (NOI) with formulas, examples, and a list of expenses such as taxes, insurance, HOA, property management, utilities, lawn service, maintenance, and vacancy reserve.

Calculating Adjusted Basis of Property worksheet with numbered steps and categories for entering purchase price, fees, taxes, improvements, and depreciation.

Investment Calculators

Instantly run ROI, cap rate, and cash-flow scenarios so you can answer investor questions in minutes—not days.

Intuitive Online System

Access to the student online portal that's easy-to-navigate and accessible wherever you have an internet connection. All course progress is synced between each device. Get the app and learn on the go.

What’s Covered in the CIAS Course

If you’ve ever felt unsure when an investor asks “Will this cash flow?” or “What’s the cap rate?” this breakdown is your roadmap. Each chapter builds your confidence with the exact frameworks, calculations, and investor-focused strategies you need to analyze deals quickly, communicate clearly, and grow a steady investor pipeline.

Chapter 1: The Investor Agent Advantage
Chapter 2: Investor Goals, Strategies, and Property Types
Chapter 3: Building a Solid Investment Team
Chapter 4: Market & Deal Analysis Fundamentals
Chapter 5: Key Investment Calculations I (ROI + Return Averages)
Chapter 6: Key Investment Calculations II (Cap Rate + Cash Flow Analysis)

Chapter 7: Financing Options Investors Use (and How to Position Them)
Chapter 8: Investor Tools for Wealth Building (Self-Directed IRAs + 1031 Exchanges)
Chapter 9: Deal Structuring & Negotiation Strategies
Chapter 10: Building a Profitable Investor Database
Chapter 11: Marketing & Lead Generation to Attract Investor Clients
Chapter 12: Advanced Investor Plays (VRBO/Airbnb, iBuyers, Wholesaling, Cash-for-Keys, Commercial)

Testimonials

Brooke W.

I passed the test on the first try!

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Phil S.

I can’t speak highly enough of Richard Schulman! Under his training and mentorship, I went from…

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Daniel L.

Richard has an incredible talent for understanding his clients' needs and providing them with personalized guidance...

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Amanda B.

I am thrilled to write this testimonial about my real estate mentor, Richard. As one of Keller Williams' top producing agents…

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Azad N.

Richard's expertise in the real estate industry and his unwavering dedication to his team's success are unparalleled…

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Pricing & Enrollment

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Stop losing investor clients because you “kind of” know the numbers. CIAS gives you a clear, repeatable system to analyze deals fast, speak confidently about ROI/cap rate/cash flow, and position yourself as the go-to investor agent—so you can attract repeat buyers and build a steadier pipeline.

$249.99

12 hours of hands-on video training

400+ page CIAS student manual

100+ investor resources (templates, scripts, checklists, tools)

Investment calculators for ROI, cap rate, and cash flow scenarios

Chapter-by-chapter curriculum covering strategy, financing, and lead gen

CIAS designation training to help you stand out with credibility

Enroll

PAckage FEatures